Puneet Srivastava
Aug 26, 2017 · 2 min read

The term ‘Yoga’ literary means joining. As per the philosophy of Vedanta any path that makes you join into your own spiritual truth is a path of Yoga. (Ref: Bhagwad Gita: 15.7). The question comes — what is our spiritual truth?

Once again that’s defined as that thing which is eternally peaceful and seems to live within and doesn’t change ever and continues to live even after we are gone from this world and is beyond imagination, can’t be cut, touched, made to wet or burned etc. (Bhagwad Gita 2.24–2.25)

Now this sounds so theoretical. And hence its no surprise that barely few are able to understand it as well.

However, to understand it, lets look at — what are the above mentioned qualities referring to in turn? These qualities are referring to being divine or experiencing your own inherent divinity that’s packed within. This is the same divinity that we may see in great people otherwise; yes, that same divinity is in each one of us.

Further, Yoga is the path that takes us to that divinity of ours.

So, why are you doing those poses… or that meditation… or something else in the name of Yoga? Plus how to know if its working or proving effective?

The simple test is that if it is making you a better, healthier, fearless, focused and calmer human being then that method is working for you.

If that is not happening then surely you must change your method. There are many methods in Yoga. Poses or Asanas is just one. I am sharing an old slide for easy reference. Hope this helps.

Wonderful write-up Anna Lännström, Ph.D. you are so correct. The truth of Yoga surely has got distorted in media hypes and advertising campaigns. The purpose of Yoga can never be to be balance yourself bodily like a trapeze artist and click a beautiful DP for your social media habits; the purpose is to find the eternal truth within — the source of endless bliss. :)

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Puneet Srivastava

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